A study conducted by IBM’s Almaden Research Center and the California Institute of Technology, described in a report in the Aug. 16 issue of Nature Nanotechnology, appears to have solved one of the major obstacles in creating microchips using DNA origami.

DNA origami structures are made in solution, and they tend to stick randomly to surfaces, explains Nanowerk. But the researchers have created a process that creates “sticky” spots for origami structures that allow them to keep their intended shape.

“So not only can we put origami where we want them, but they can be oriented in the direction we want them,” said Paul W. K. Rothemund, a research associate at the California Institute of Technology, who developed DNA origami in 2006.

Still, Rothemund told Nanowerk, there are many problems to be solved and it will be another five to 10 years before origami is being used to create chips. “But the solution to the current problem came much faster than expected,” he added.

“[T]he potential of structural DNA nanotechnology in biological applications has been underestimated,” said Hao Yan, one of the researchers. “And if we look at the process of DNA self-assembly, you will be amazed that trillions of DNA nanostructures can form simultaneously in a solution of few microliters.”

FindingDulcinea’s Web Guide to Nanotechnology explores what nanotechnology is, how researchers are hoping to use it, including in medicine, and what the critics are saying about the consequences of using this potentially world-changing technology.